Mughal road closed for 8th day

JAMMU: After heavy snowfall, the Mughal road remained closed for vehicular movement for the eighth consecutive day today, while one-way traffic was plying smoothly on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, traffic police department officials said.
The Mughal road connects the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri of Jammu region with south Kashmir’s Shopian district.
It was closed for vehicular traffic on December 10 evening as a precautionary measure owing to prediction of heavy snowfall.
“The road clearance operation was not started so far and a team of officials are visiting various areas along the road tomorrow to take stock of the situation,” a police official said.
A decision to reopen the road for vehicular traffic after clearance operation would depend on the emerging weather conditions, he said.
About four-feet of snow had accumulated on the ground at Peer Ki Gali along the road during the inclement weather between Dec 11 and 14, hampering restoration of the road link.
The road usually remains closed for vehicular traffic during winter months owing to heavy snowfall in Peer Ki Gali area.
Meanwhile, the officer said the one-way traffic from Srinagar to Jammu was smooth on the strategic highway, the only all weather road linking Kashmir with rest of the country.
Traffic on the highway was restricted to one-way after it had opened on Thursday.
No movement of any sort of vehicle, including convoys of the army and other security forces, were allowed from Jammu to Srinagar to ensure smooth flow of traffic on the road, the official said.
The highway was closed from Dec 11 to 13 due to heavy snowfall and landslides at several places, shooting stones and accumulation of snow at the Qazigund-Jawahar and Banihal- Jawahar tunnel sectors. (AGENCIES)